strength

Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

Do you know what your strengths are? It’s easy to find out. The VIA webite has an online survey that will tell you.

The nonprofit VIA (Values in Action) Institute on Character was founded to create a scientifically rigorous classification of character strengths and a way of measuring them (the VIA Survey). It was founded by Dr. Neal H. Mayerson, in collaboration with Dr. Martin E. P. Seligman (founder of Positive Psychology) and Dr. Christopher Peterson.

According to a survey done in August 2008, the five most common signature strengths demonstrated by a random sample of people who took the VIA Survey are:

1.    Curiosity – 43%

2.    Love – 37%

3.    Fairness – 37%

4.    Judgment & Open-Mindedness – 34%

5.    Kindness – 32%

The least common signature strengths are:

•    Self-Regulation – 5%

•    Social Intelligence – 6%

•    Modesty & Humility – 8%

•    Zest – 8%

•    Prudence – 10%

•    Perspective – 10%

I took the survey today – my top 5 strengths are:

1. Curiosity and interest in the world – the most common strength, shared by 43% of survey takers.

2. Forgiveness and mercy

3. Gratitude

4. Hope, optimism, and future-mindedness

5. Zest, enthusiasm, and energy – one of the least common strengths, shared by only 8% of survey takers.

Martin Seligman’s website, Authentic Happiness, links to the VIA signature strengths survey, and also has other surveys relating to happiness, life meaning and emotion. According to Seligman, we can become lastingly happier by using our signature strengths more often and in new ways. Early support for this theory comes from a random-assignment study in which research participants were asked to use their signature strengths more often and in different ways. These participants were happier six months later; individuals who received a “control” exercise stayed the same.

‘Regardless of one’s circumstances, expressing your signature strengths in your daily life is a way of increasing your satisfaction and happiness.’ – Seligman

What are your strengths? How are you using them in your life?

Belated Blog Action Day post

Greater bloggers than I have covered this topic. What they have to say is worth reading – take 5 minutes to raise your awareness of this global issue.  Taking action after reading what they say would be even better.

What is Blog Action Day?

‘On October 15th bloggers everywhere will publish posts that discuss poverty in some way. By all posting on the same day we aim to change the conversation that day, to raise awareness, start a global discussion and add momentum to an important cause.’  (Ahem. Except me, I’m two days late.)

Dave Navarro (no, the other Dave Navarro) said:

You Have Power And Influence And Value, Whether You See It In Yourself Or Not

If you are reading this, chances are you’re better off than at least a billion or so people in this world.  You have electricity.  Water.  The ability to communicate with the people around you.  And that makes you a Titan to those who don’t.  Even if you feel powerless to handle your own life stresses (which quite honestly, are unlikely to be worse than the poorest people on this Earth), you have the power to do something truly, utterly amazing.

You can save lives.  Let me repeat that:  You can save people’s freakin’ lives. Read more…….

And Leo Babauta said this:

While it might seem like an overwhelming and insurmountable problem, we in the First World have the power to make a major difference, if we can get enough of us to join in the effort. Read more….

Read these blogs. Read the links on these blogs. The power of connection through the internet is phenomenal – making a global change has never been easier.

embracing my inner geek

Last night I spent fifty nine minutes watching the launch of Adobe Creative Suite 4, including an introduction by Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen, an overview of the products by Senior Vice President John Loiacono and some Adobe customers demonstrating their brilliant creations. Interesting comments on technology, design and connectivity around the world (for example: around 1 billion people in developing markets will never use a pc to access the internet, but will use mobile devices instead).

I was amazed by this:  more than 1700 people years have gone into the development of the CS4 suite of products.

Yvonne Perez-Emerson and Tim May of The Curiousity Group showed how they work with Illustrator and In Design. The Curiousity Group is a creative marketing group that ‘gives everyday people a creative experience that strengthen their ties to the brand.’ Have a look at their website for the rationale behind their work (and for the eye candy).

CS4 is due for release in Australia in November. Yes, I’ve pre-ordered.

a really useful website

Not sure what RSS, social bookmarking, podcasting or Twitter are all about? Don’t know how to react when a primary school kid tells you he’s working on a wiki at school? Here’s a quick and easy way to find out.

The Common Craft website has great videos that ‘are short, simple and focused on making complex ideas easy to understand.’  Common Craft is a husband and wife team, Sachi and Lee LeFever, who use a very simple and effective format of paper cutouts on a whiteboard in their videos.

As well as internet – related topics, there are videos explaining CFL light bulbs, zombies (!?), and ‘Electing a US President in Plain English’ (very helpful for Australians like me who are somewhat mystified by the process).

Take a few minutes to watch a video – the next time a seven year old mentions a wiki you’ll be able to nod wisely…….